Burned My Way
by Death or Love
Summary: I wrote this story a while ago on my old account of Slytherin of the century which was hacked, i really wanted to repost it, its my version of the events in burned, please read it :


**Burned: my way.**

**Chapter 1**

There was blackness. I felt like the blackness was trying to swallow me up whole. Was I dead? I considered this for a moment but I didn't think I was. I wasn't sure on anything apart from the fact that Heath was now dead and I was all alone in this creepy darkness. What was it that Heath had tried to tell me before? Something about Neferet and Kalona. Kalona. As I thought of Kalona everything became bright and I could see him standing there in the grounds of the palace talking intently to Neferet. I saw Heath standing there intently listening to their conversation in which he shouldn't have been doing so. Heath then came out of where he was standing.

When Neferet left Kalona he turned to stare at Heath "So, little human you now have a story to tell my Zoey" Kalona didn't look to happy as he stared at Heath.

"She's not your Zoey" Heath yelled back at Kalona.

"Ah, but she is" Kalona answered coolly.

I could see that Heath was trying to concentrate even from here it shocked me when he said "Nah, you don't know my girl".

"Your girl's soul belongs to me and I will not allow Neferet or you or anyone to change that" I could see Kalona walking towards Heath. "What is the expression the Vampyres use?" he paused. "I believe it is 'curiosity killed the cat' it seems perfectly applicable to this situation" he laughed.

I could then see a girl that looked familiar run out. That was when the 'battle' started I could see her summoning spirit and throwing it at Kalona in attempt to save Heath but it didn't work because Kalona snapped Heaths neck. From up here she could see the look on the girls face as she crumpled to the ground and looked vacant. Stark ran up to her not caring about anything else in the world.

After that everything went black again

I thought of everything that I had just witnessed and then something hit me. I hadn't just witnessed it, I was the girl that had run out to Heath and tried to fight against Kalona with the ball of spirit. It had all happened before I went into the other world. "Remember" I heard a voice whisper to me. It sounded like it was moving around so I looked around from where it had come from but no one was there. The voice then flashed by me again "Remember" "what does that even mean?" I yelled back in to the vacant space. I realised that the idea had been in me the whole time but instead I asked myself "why am I here" hadn't Heath told me that I didn't belong in the other world so didn't that mean that I don't belong here either (where ever that was). So why do things always have to be so mysterious in these times. I thought of what this noise was trying to tell me… remember might have meant to forget the bad and remember the good or something as lame as that.

I wondered if that would work and so I tried thinking of all the good things that had happened in my life and especially at the House of Night. I remembered my friends and how easy it was to talk to them, be myself and smile around them all the time before any of this stuff had happened. I remembered Grandma Redbird and how she had looked after me all those times that had been tough at home and made sure that I was happy in my life and then how she had brought me to the house of night when she found me in her garden. I also remember her for the times that I had gone to her house and she had shown me her ancestry background, including rituals. But mainly because the house of night had become a home and a getaway place for me to stay in. I had become so high and as the first fledgling to have a body covered in tattoos and a coloured in crescent on my forehead and a high priestess. Things were certainly looking up for me. "Apart from now" I thought sourly to myself. But I am in my goddesses hands.

The darkness that seemed to be swallowing me up was slowly disappearing into what looked like a bright and colourful dream, a happy dream. There were men bowing to the women in their suits, women curtsying in their very pretty eighteenth century dresses. They were shopping in the small area of shops. They looked like they lived in a time when fathers were looking for good men to marry their daughters and they had balls every week. It looked so very nice here and I would have loved it here… whilst in these thoughts someone or something was shaking me and calling my name. I wanted to answer them but I couldn't move and couldn't speak. It was… I looked around and everything was changing. Someone was there. They walked up to me and saluted me with their fist of their chest. Where was I? I wondered silently to myself.

"Priestess you must awaken now to your friends. They look terrible and very upset; they do not know what to do with their selves or about you". She spoke to me with the high respect that I was slowly getting used to by everyone else. I took a look around before I started to feel my eyes open. The place was white and very clean; it looked like what everyone would describe heaven to be like.

My eyes flew open and with a start I heard my breathing. It sounded like I could not breathe although I could breath fine. I wanted to jump up and make sure everything was ok but I couldn't even move a morsel, I ached too much. I wanted to run to Heaths body and see that nothing had happened and that it was all my overactive imagination. I looked around the area and I knew it wasn't. I first saw Stark and he gave me a sad look, then I looked around at all my friends faces but within them I could see Heath but it didn't take me long to find it on the dirt. Two people though although I was glad not to see were Kalona and Neferet

Stark came over and put his arms around me and kissed my fore head. The next thing I knew I was asleep. Well I was half asleep because I could hear people talking.

"We need to get Zoey to the infirmary" I could hear Aphrodite say to everyone. I could also hear people agreeing with her as I was dreaming of a happy time.

"Where are they?" I mumbled not sure if anyone could hear me.

I knew that I didn't have to open my eyes to know that without saying anything stark knew what I meant by it. He just knew.

"Neferet went before hand and when you hit Kalona with the spirit he fled from _you_" that hurt, but in a good way because he was now scared of me. At least we got one point settled.

"Zoey sweetie, we need to get you cleaned up and changed into some fresh clothes". I grunted at him not wanting to move from this position in Starks hands. The place that I had just entered felt like home.

**Chapter 2**

I rolled onto my side and squeezed my eyes tightly shut together as to pretend to be asleep, but it didn't work. Stark pulled me up into a sitting position next to me with his arms still tightly around my shoulders and waist. I opened my eyes and everyone had their worried faces starring at me like they were waiting for me to explode. I didn't want to see this. I looked around the room and saw Heaths body lying there under a plain white sheet. Jack came up to me and tried to give me a tissue but I shook it away and quickly stood up, that was when I felt the pain. The pain shocked me and I swayed. Stark came straight to me and took my arm. I looked down at my body and nothing was there apart from my clothes. I looked up and then back down. Where had all my beautiful goddess given tattoos gone? They weren't there. What is going on? I must still be asleep otherwise, why would they have gone? She wouldn't reject me. She doesn't reject people we should know that from Aphrodite by now. Everyone was still staring at me, and so I just acted like nothing had happened as if it were at the start of the year.

"So um… where do I get changed? Because I am not getting changed here in front of everyone, and plus I need some clean clothes" I tried to suppress a sigh so that everyone thought that I was ok. The twins smiled a very weak smile and came up to me.

"Let's get you to your room. I think that there is a big need for a generous bubble bath" Shaunee Cole said to me.

"Ditto twin!" And you are not getting out of it" I sighed finally seeing reason to do so without them thinking something of it.

The twins started to drag me of towards the exit but they stopped. "Where do you think that you are going?" Erin asked Stark.

"With Zoey"

"No way are we going to let you come with us. Get some rest" Shaunee told him. He did as he was told but kept looking back at me with a worried glance. I think that my face mirrored it.

We got to the rooms. And we were surprised to see Aphrodite sitting there crying. She took one big look at us and ran into her room. We looked at each other not so sure what to think or do. So we followed her doing exactly as we used to do when someone was upset. When we went into the room Aphrodite was lying on her bed face into the pillows. We sat down. She mumbled something that I'm sure was a rude gesture but we didn't budge.

"Go away" she had lifted her head and yelled at us.

"What is wrong Aphrodite?"

"Just leave me alone" and then she got up and stormed out with tears streaming down her face.

We just stared after her but decided to drop it. We went out from the room and headed to towards the bathing area. When we arrived there we closed the door and stripped our clothes off so that we were just in our underwear but of course Shaunee and Erin had their bathers on underneath. Looking at me Shaunee smiled and handed me some bathers that had a very expensive label. I put them on feeling a little special that I had such an expensive pair of bathers on I would never ever be able to afford something like these! I don't know how they can afford it but of course they go to all the sales.

We started the taps putting in a decent amount of hot water in with a tiny bit of cold. If I had had a bath like this I think that I would have squealed at the heat of the water but, it didn't actually seem as warm wene I got into it but I did gasp just a tiny bit. I guess that's all part of becoming a Vampyre. I now sat in the bath feeling just a tad awkward whilst watching the twins splashing each other and feeling very comfortable.

"This is just what we need" Shaunee told me.

I nodded in agreement as Erin settled down and sat on the bottom of the bath with her head just sitting on the top. I smiled at her. I guess that this was needed some times especially to get cleaned up and relaxed. I looked at my body again. It was smooth but my tattoos had gone and I felt like I was looking at someone else's body instead of mine. Then I noticed that I was crying again which just wasn't fair. I wished all my life that I couldn't cry and that I didn't show all my emotions but, that wish never came true. The twins glided over in the water and put their hands around my shoulders, I felt homely and thankful to know that people still cared about me. We sat in the water talking about shopping, splashing each other and having fun until we were all wrinkled like prunes. I felt relaxed as I climbed out of the luke warm water and I felt more like myself. We grabbed our towels and started drying ourselves until Damien ran into the room his face streaming with tears.

"What is it" Erin rushed out as Shaunee and I couldn't say anything.

Damien ran out of the room before he could answer or we could ask more questions. We followed. We ran out through the girl's bedrooms into the lounge where Jack was lying there with blood streaming from everywhere. I was shocked that someone like him wouldn't be able to go through the change. He was on the white floors bleeding and coughing up blood. I had no idea what to do. Neferet had always dealt with these things and given them a liquid to drink. The liquid… at this time I was lost in thought trying to figure out what that liquid was, I must know. Maybe that was how she changed them I'm sure it is.

"Zoey!" What should we do?" I stared at them with their tear struck faces. They all had tears and tissues in their hands as they where wiping the blood away as quickly as possible.

"Make a circle" I ordered. I grabbed the five circles of off the counter and gave one to Stevie Rae, Damien, Shaunee and Erin. The stood in their places but I could tell that it was so very hard for Damien to stand up and away from his boyfriend. We all looked at Jack and so I started calling the Elements in the order.

(Air-Damien, Fire Shaunee, Water Erin, Earth Stevie Rae, Spirit Zoey,)

"I first call air to the circle to this circle to freshen Jack up. I now call Fire to our circle and ask it to heat Jack up. I now call water to our circle and ask it to cleanse jack from his fears" I paused for a moment tears falling down my cheeks. "Now I call for Earth to guard us and make Jack feel more homely" now it was my turn and I wasn't sure I could do so. I saw Jack staring at me half covered in blood. The sent had already hit me but I didn't feel out of control. "I now call spirit to help us find the insight and to look after Jack while we can't". The circle was cast. While I was upset I still felt the urge to dance and sing around the room but I forced myself not to as I looked at Jack.

I went up to Damien who had rushed to Jacks side as he kept coughing and spluttering. I looked at him and thought to myself that I knew how he was feeling. I had seen my best friend die and I had my boyfriend being murdered in front of me this evening. Then it all stopped. There was no coughing or terrible, breathing sounds. I looked Damien in the eyes and let him put his head on my shoulder and cry. Whilst Damien was crying two doctors came in and picked up Jacks body to take it into the infirmary. I told Damien that he should stay here and get cleaned up instead of moving. We didn't close the circle at all that night…

**Chapter 3**

I woke up in the early hours of the afternoon thinking to myself. I couldn't stand knowing how many of my friends would die in front of me whilst I was still living the high life. I got gifts from the goddess whilst some of the best people in the world were dying I should be more grateful. Maybe I was meant for great things but shouldn't everyone else be meant for something great in the universe. I looked around the room to see that everyone was still asleep on the great big rug that we had laid down to sleep on. The candles were still lit and sitting next to the element controllers.

I stood up very slowly trying to be as quiet as possible, I then had another quick look around the room to make sure that no one was disturbed by me but all was still and quiet. I walked past everyone still being very carefully quiet. At least there were no red fledglings to get comfortable or make space for. But it was very strange to know that Stevie Rae wasn't here to witness anything going on but, I guess that she had her own problems with changing her blood sharer. Hang on a minute let's just back track here. If Stevie Rae wasn't here then who held the earth candle tonight when we were casting the circle for Jack and wishing him well in his next life (hopefully Nyx was looking after him and making sure that he stayed well.

I walked back into the room and looked for where we had set the earth candle next to the owner but I was shocked to find that Aphrodite was lying there next to the earth candle fast asleep. But I didn't see or hear her get zapped or shocked when I cast the circle. Nyx is truly still on our side and maybe she will let Aphrodite keep her element. As if Aphrodite could feel my staring she stirred and sat up very quickly. She stared at me eyes wide and shocked. I knew then that she had had another vision that she hadn't told me about. I pointed at her and motioned for her to come over here to where I stood. She nodded and slowly arose from where she was sitting. Carefully trying not to wake someone she walked over here. She wasn't as quiet as we were but that wasn't her fault. When she finally stood in front of me I walked out of the room to where I was standing before. She followed.

"You have had a vision" I accused her as soon as we were out of earshot.

She nodded looking shaken "I don't think you need to know anymore" she looked sad again, like she was just about to die and needed to get something of her chest.

I smiled at her waiting for her to keep going but she didn't "You can tell me" I smiled at her again.

"It is about Kalona Killing your human boyfriend Heath" please sat that it is… right she only had bad visions. She looked like she was on the edge.

'Hang on a minute what do you mean" I am a priestess… I am a priestess… I am a priestess… I kept on telling myself. I will not be annoyed with her as I am a priestess… in training me; thought dully.

"I saw him die before we got to the plane before we even thought of coming here. I knew that if he came that he would die here. That's why I didn't really want him to come with us" she sobbed. Somehow I managed to keep the self control that I swore to keep.

"Why didn't you tell me this before? You tell me when I could die but the people I most love. How could you do this to me"? I was now very sad and felt like I could cry.

"I'm really sorry" she sobbed.

I stormed out of the room not knowing how much self control I had left in me. I didn't want to get mad at her because enough had, happened already today. I walked through the second lounge room towards the door way where I could breathe some fresh clean air and get my senses back together. People trusted me to be all high and elegant as a representative (at least that's what some people thought I was) but I am really a teenager who has problems. I mean who doesn't have their problems to sort out even if they aren't average.

The next thing I knew I had fallen asleep at the door way where the sun couldn't hit me. I dreamt that everything was happy and no one was dying. Everything was the way it had been before I was marked by our goddess Nyx. I wish that life could be that simple again but I like this part of my life as well. I guess that it was a good thing to be marked because I am not near the step looser and my mum.

I realised that I was half asleep only because I could feel a blanket being put around me and some footsteps. I didn't want to move so I just sat like this for a few minutes. I wasn't actually very sure on how much time was going by but that was all that it felt like. I opened my eyes and Stark immediately came to my side. I shook him of but couldn't get out any words like I wanted to.

I sat up suddenly having a craving of my non diet brown pop. I stood up and went back through the hallway to where the first lounge room was. The lounge room led to a small kitchen that was full of whatever we wanted. Guess what… there was junk food unlike the Tulsa house of night! I picked a bottle out with some potato chips I think that they were chicken flavour but I didn't really pay any attention to taste or labels I was starving! I sat on the couch and put my feet up. My friends were watching me like I was insane.

"When are we going back?" Erin asked me.

"I hope soon" Shaunee said.

"We will be going in two days. We still have a lot of undecided business to do here. Can you pass the DVDs here" we went through all the DVDs and I found some geeky movies "Should we have a geek marathon?" everyone looked enthusiastic at that point so we put on star wars and got comfortably squished up together.

We sat there watching the movies until they had finished and we were all bored of them. Shaunee and Erin were criticising the fashion and the guys and girls that played the roles whilst Aphrodite and her BF snuck out of the room to do whatever they wanted. Aphrodite was still looking sorry at me but I just didn't look at her for very long and always turned my head in disgust. I think that's why she went out of the room.

I guess that today had been a reasonable day for the amount of days and weeks that had been very strange. I guess that I should make up with Aphrodite because she has always been here for me but I still don't know.

**Chapter 4**

I walked into the other room and headed toward my room seeing Aphrodite crying into the shoulder of Darius as I walked passed and, she saw me.

"Zoey" I heard her cry out, but I walked off not wanting to listen to anything that anyone said and that definitely included her. "Please Zoey!" she pleaded but I was beyond caring. She ran out of the room and pulled me to one side. I stared at her shocked and not knowing whether I was annoyed or what.

"What?" I yelled at her very confused.

"I-I-I" she stuttered and then she passed out. Darius picked her up off the floor and took her into her room where she could lie down, and then he closed the door in my face. I didn't know what to do. I just stared at the door feeling sad that someone had done such a thing. I then turned and ran into my room curling into a ball crying, I guess I did deserve that after the way that I had treated Aphrodite since last night. But… she didn't tell me that… Someone rushed into my room and stood in front of me defensively. It was Stark.

"What the…?" I just stared at him mesmerised and then I fell into a sleep, what seemed like a very deep sleep. I was walking across an island a very beautiful one, people where dressed in white and they all looked good in it. I looked across to the other side of the beach and it was very dark and gloomy somewhere I really wouldn't want to go. It made me shiver to even think about it. I walked across to the middle of the beach where a statue of our goddess Nyx stood. I looked at our goddess and asked her where I was and why my tattoos had gone.

She materialised in front of me "My child" she said in a small tone. "Come for a walk with me. Isn't it lovely here?" her voice sounded very sad unlike how I had usually heard her.

I turned and looked at the dark and gloomy part off the beach but didn't say anything about it "Yes it is" I simply replied.

"Your tattoos will come back when you have defeated something that you must but until then they can never return" she stared into the horizon not looking blinded by the slowly drifting sun. It looked like it was six o'clock but I could be wrong because I had no idea where I was. "For your second question, in your heart you know where you are and that means that I do not need to answer it. You are a smart priestess and a very young one at that. But don't let your emotions overpower you because you cannot afford to lose any more friends than you already have" she gave me a sad smile, why did she have to remind me about that.

I thought about all the possible places that I could be in. I thought about light and dark and how the humans had said that hell and heaven was one side of the world covered in darkness and that heaven was the other side covered in light. I shivered. I was in the other world. "What do I need to do?" I had to ask her for advice I had no idea what I should do.

"Only you will know, you must follow what your heart tells you and not what everyone else wants because if you listen to everyone else you may do the wrong things" I stared at her. That wasn't the exact answer I was looking for but I guess that it was better than nothing. She turned and faced looking sad then she touched my cheek and blessed me then she disappeared and I was all on my own once again. I knew what I had to do:

Got to kill Neferet somehow (how do you even kill the creature she is any way)

Become immortal

Pretend to love Kalona (like in Aphrodite's vision)

And lastly kill him

This was going to be so much harder than it seemed. But I am going to have to try which meant going to the darker side.

**Chapter 5**

I looked around knowing that if I stayed any longer I would never get over to the darker side of this world. I took one step and realised that my conscience was telling me to go to the other side. I took another step and once again I felt fine and I knew that this was my way of saying that this was the right decision. I felt like I should run to the other side, like someone was calling me from there, I wanted to know what was actually on that side that could make it look so dark and gloomy.

I was at the edge of the darkness, feeling sorry for myself that I had to do this, I knew that I shouldn't regret saving something so worth this. That was humanity. I knew that when I took the step over that side Kalona would know and I would be surrounded by instant darkness for a very long time and that I would have to learn a lot and leave all my friends behind. I just hope that Aphrodite remembers her vision and understands what I am doing for humanity, even though I wouldn't talk to her.

It seemed like the world of time had frozen as I took that slow step across to the dark side. It would be like watching one of those action movies when they were defeating an enemy whilst doing a flip in the air (if you get what I mean). It seemed to take half an hour and it felt so weird, I finally placed my foot on the other side. One foot on the dark side the other on the better and light side. The heaven like side sung to me and wished me good luck on the journey whilst the hell like side called me over looking scary and frightening, but I couldn't be frightened of it if I were to become one of them for a short time.

"Forgive me Nyx for what I must do, I shall always be on your side in my heart and soul" I whispered in prayer. I called all the elements on to my side to keep me safe, warm, clean, to guide me, hang on, I would have to stop calling the elements otherwise they would know whose side I was on in my soul. Do people here even have a soul? I let the elements go and finally put my other foot onto the darker side.

I looked around feeling scared, I shook and shivered. I realised that my clothes had changed from what I was wearing previously. People on the lighter side may have worn white thin cloth but the clothes on this side were so much more modern. I wore a beautiful dress made from blue silk which seemed weird to me because this place was dark and gloomy but nice. I took one more glance around and started walking towards what seems like a lit entrance to the dark and gloomy forests.

As I got closer to the light I noticed a change in the forest, it made me shiver more than before. My breathing increased and became heavy like a dog panting; I lifted my dress and ran for the light. As I got closer to the light, the area became smaller and thinner as if it was closing in on me. I was a few steps away from the light when it went.

"This place can be what you want it to be or so much more" a voice said from the ferns of the trees. My heart raced, I recognised the voice as soon as it said the first word. The voice was beautiful in such a place as this. I could do something about the darkness but I couldn't remember what exactly that was. I heard a flicker in the trees as he walked towards me. I could smell him.

"What do you mean" I asked calmly.

"Let me show you" he was standing behind me as he took my hand into his. My heart thumped stupidly as I turned myself towards him. He started to lead me and I followed standing next to him with my hand in his hand. He led me to where the light had been just before he came along. As we got closer to the gap he turned and took a look at me. A smile on his face, "I knew that you would finally understand and come to me". He lifted my chin and stared into my eyes like Heath would do before any of this had happened, he then proceeded to kiss my neck. I could hear my heart becoming so much louder than before but he didn't seem to notice. "My Aya" I smiled at him as I had never smiled before. He traced my lips with his fingers and then he turned and led me through what was now an open gap. As we went through the gap there was a loud hissing noise that made me jump. Kalona either didn't hear it or just didn't care I liked how he could just do that. He walked on and as soon as we stepped out of the forest, we were on a sandy beach much like the other one but it seemed to have a sparkle of beauty in it.

"So beautiful" I sighed in happiness.

"Just like you in that dress of yours" he now stood in front still holding my hand. Once again a felt that shiver. I wanted more, but didn't know exactly what I wanted more of. He started to kiss me again and touched my thigh and then let go. It hurt to be let go like this but I knew the reason why. "I have waited so long" he murmured to himself softly, "I can wait a little bit longer". He sighed and turned to face the beach.

"How can something so beautiful be on such a land that is told to be scary and frightening?" I asked myself knowing that I had spoken out loud. It was a reasonable question because this side was supposed to be like our own version of hell instead of a heaven like place.

"I told you Zoey" he paused for a second, "that this place could be what you wanted it to be. It doesn't have to be dark and scary, it is what you make of it" he smiled cheerfully and I couldn't help but smile too. We walked on down to the beach in silence not knowing what to say to each other. The sound of crashing waves was so beautiful that I could have fallen asleep standing where I was next to Kalona, but I kept my eyes open and focused my attention on something else. "Mmm… non sugared brown pop" I thought to myself and this time I knew that I wasn't speaking out loud but it seemed to pop out into thin air. I picked it up and undid the lid, I then took a sip of it and before I knew it, it had disappeared.

"You were really telling the truth" I didn't realise that he was staring at me until I looked up at him.

"You really are beautiful" he touched my cheek again and sat on the beach, I sat next to him. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why have you come all this way to find me?"

I didn't know what to say or how to answer him, I had no idea of why I was here but I knew that I had to do something. I shrugged. "I don't really know".

"You went through the other side of the world to find me, why?"

"I don't remember"

"You must really have wanted me then" he smiled and I noticed his big black wings that moved behind him. He really was good looking better than how he had looked before in the real universe where I had once tried to kill him and he had done something or rather.

**Chapter 6**

He turned from me once again and we walked closer to the water's edge. When we got there he stopped and then led me into the water. The water was warm but not in uncomfortable warmth where you wouldn't want to go into it, as I went in my dress turned into a bikini which fitted perfectly and looked great on me. It was a blue turquoise like colour and brought out the colour of my face. I looked at my skin still missing my beautiful tattoos that once sat upon my skin, I would have cried but I couldn't and for some reason I couldn't feel anything but power at this moment. He was staring at my body as if he had never seen a woman's body before no guy had looked at me the way he did (that I could recall at that moment) and he leaned forward and kissed me. The kiss was wonderful and very passionate; it had a fire to it and a surge of electricity that came through as we touched each other.

We slowly broke apart when someone coughed loudly behind us. Neither of us was expecting someone to be standing behind us. I knew who it was before I had turned to stare at her and meeting her glare. It was Neferet. Her eyes bore into me like she could see into my soul but she probably could know her. She stepped towards us not looking away from me. God she was creepy, I never noticed it all that much when I had first started. I turned from her and looked at Kalona who smiled widely at the both of us.

"I knew that this time would finally come" he laughed darkly, I shivered but in delight instead of fright. I turned to her feeling so very powerful, she was ruining my buzz and I really didn't like that at all. Where was my non diet brown pop when I wanted it? I looked back at Kalona who nodded his head like he thought that I was thinking something different. I knew what he was thinking. I had to kill her and this would probably be my first last and only chance. The only problem was that I didn't know how to kill her but she obviously knew how to kill me, instead she turned from me and streaked away but I wasn't going to let her get away that easily. My instincts took over from me as I called all the elements to me and set them on her. A burning smell came out but I couldn't see anything happening to her and then there was a shriek as spirit took control rapping her in its thick mist. I never knew that I had this much power in me as I called them off.

She fell to the ground shrieking with more pain, "how could you" she snarled at me whilst I showed my I'm so perfect smug face. "You, Just a stupid girl" she gasped and then there was an explosion of a sound and there was nothing left off her. I turned back to Kalona not feeling any shock or remorse. He touched my skin and turned me around so that my back faced him. He touched where one of my tattoos once belonged and shook his head angrily.

"I knew it was too good to be true" he said as he slapped me on the face and I went flying to the ground.

"What?" I stammered feeling the pain. Man he had a good slap. I touched where the red mark would appear shortly.

"You are working for Nyx you stupid bitch, I knew it couldn't be true!" I looked up to him not knowing how to take being called a bitch and a liar at the same time. I slowly stood up and touched his face but he pushed me away and started walking. "You are a liar and I hope you rot here for the rest of eternity".

"Wait" I called out to him wanting to grab him. The beach had disappeared and I was in the dark forest once again with nothing but the sound of rustling trees and the flapping of wings around me. I shivered but because I was scared. I called for Kalona to come back but he didn't. I Called for him again but yet he still did not come back so I sat on the ground that was covered in leafs when a voice whispered "How could you hurt me in such ways? I thought that you came so that we could be together".

"But I have" I whispered back to the noise.

"I don't believe you now that you have the tattoo back."

"I don't know why it has come back" I pleaded with him. "I hate Nyx and the life she has created" I felt no remorse but knew that I should have. I didn't want him to leave me I loved him too much to **(tattoo goes away) **let him go from me. I stood up and shook myself off feeling stronger that I had before. I started for the gap and felt a cold chill down my back. I wished that I had some jeans and a top on to keep me warm. I looked down to find myself wearing these clothes, light blue jeans with a white top that had been knitted. I looked really pretty with my hair colour fitting perfectly with the colour of the clothes. It swayed as I walked hurriedly thinking of a place where I could sit down to listen to what I had to say to myself, I just had to think for a minute before I did anything. I still couldn't remember why I was here apart from Kalona so he must have been the reason. I walked over to a stone that was flattened as a bench for me to sit on. I closed my eyes tiredly and I soon drifted off to sleep not wanting to.

**Chapter 7:**

As I awoke I stretched out and realised that I was lying on a bed. This bed was soft but it wasn't one that I remembered. I opened my eyes and looked around me, the walls were white like a hospitals and the bed also had a white frame with little rose patterns engraved. I didn't realise that people were standing over me watching every move I made. I felt defensive as I looked at these people's faces. Stark was in my face in an instance and I moved away shocked that someone would come so close. Then I realised who I was and where I was. No Kalona. My memory started to come back to me; I remembered why I had gone to the dark side and what had happened there. I couldn't believe that I was falling in love with the 'bad guy' I think that ill just blame it on Aya, but it's not really the right thing to do.

_Remember who you are _flashed around me like it had done when I was in the black swirl after I had 'fainted' and followed Heath and after… he had died. I remembered who I was and what I still had to do. That all must have been a dream with Kalona, nut something told me it wasn't only the part with Neferet, I could feel her presence around the place which meant she was still here somewhere. Oh well although that was a problem I had to put it to the back of my head, I had to find a way of killing Kalona as well. Hang on they could both be as bad as each other, actually they were probably just as bad as the other. Oh well. My friends were staring at me weirdly as if I had grown something on my head.

"What" breath, I told myself.

"You ok?' I wasn't sure if this was a question but I answered anyway.

"I'm fine Stark" he didn't look like he believed me, "really I'm fine".

I knew he still didn't believe me "you collapsed, you know and hit your head pretty badly" I moved my head and I could feel the throbbing pain that sat in the back of my skull. I looked around and saw that everyone was there including Aphro… she fell to the floor with a bang and I could tell that she was having a vision. I stood up and sent everyone out of the room so I cupid talk to her while she was having the vision. Everyone stood up and went out not wanting to. I walked to where she sat, her face was blank as she watched this vision, then all of a sudden a scream was sent into the air, it made me jump in shock.

"Aphrodite, talk to me. What is happening?"

A frown showed on her face as she stared at me like she could see right through to my soul. But I was too late as she sat up and looked into what were probably frightened eyes. "You!" she shrieked at me. "You wouldn't!" she yelled. I backed away and yelled for Stark and Darius. They rushed in Stark at my feet with Darius at Aphrodite's who was still trying to shrieking at me. This scared me a lot. Stark stood in a protective stance in front of me and like someone was going to come into the room and try to kill me like in a horror movie apart from the fact that someone was shrieking at me instead of the shrieking music you would find in Psycho.

I didn't realise it but tears streamed down my face, man I had missed a lot since being in Tulsa like lessons the food and the comfort of my friends and also knowing everything was ok. Oh and let's not forget my non diet brown pop, where was Stevie Rae when I needed her.

Spov

As soon as I saw Zoeys eyes open I ran straight to her and stood in front of her face looking straight into her eyes. I was really worried about her, I had been pacing up and down the floor space for two days, and I didn't like seeing something happen to her especially as she was stone cold on a hospital like bed worthy of a high priestess. I loved her so much and she knew it somewhere deep inside, it was nice to see her awake finally, but I got a different reaction to what I expected from her, as she saw me she flinched away like I was going to hit her or something. I jumped bback shocked but recovered quickly.

"What" she asked me angrily, this seriously annoyed me because I had no idea of what I had done wrong or anyone else that is.

"You ok" I asked.

"I'm fine" she told me but I didn't believe her one bit, but I had to act as though I did, but she knew what I knew. "Really I'm fine" she gave her best reassuring look. I stepped back.

"You collapsed and hit your head really badly" I told her. She looked like she was in serious pain and I wanted to help sooth her but didn't know how to do so. What could I do? All of a sudden there was a bang and Aphrodite was lying on the floor unconscious looking apart from the fact that her eyes were open. Zoey stood quickly and I could feel her pain as if it were my own.

"Get out" she yelled to everyone as she crouched over Aphrodite, even while they were angry at each other I knew Zoey still cared about her. We went out everyone grumbling at her, seriously what was up with her. We went outside the room and spoke quietly to one another, we were talking for two minutes until we heard shrieking coming from inside the room. Then I heard her scream my name and Dariuse's name being called and we sprinted in there and stood over our beloveds.

**Chapter 8**

I stood there ready to spring at the attacker but nobody was there just Aphrodite screaming her lungs accusingly at Zoey.

"What is going on?" I had to cover my ears as her voice started screeching, it was a horrible sound. Zoey looked like she was going into shock, she was shaking so hard that I had to put my arms tightly around her. "Zoey?"

"I- I don't know" she started to cry and her face was fully flushed.

" I-i-i just need to be alone, I think" Darius grabbed Aphrodite and cradled her into his arms, the looked good together apart from the fact that Aphrodite was screaming her lungs off and pointing at Zoey, her arm shaking. I wonder what she saw and if Zoey knew what it was.

"Try and get the vision out of her" I told him worried about the priestess my priestess, the one that I loved even if she might not have loved me in that way. I could see a shadow being cast on the wall but I didn't look behind thinking that it was Darius with the screaming Aphrodite, what had gotten into her lately. I looked up at zoey to make sure that she was ok but she was busy looking far behind me. I turned my head to look over my shoulder and there was a large crack and all there was, was instant darkness.

"Where's Zoey" I mumbled my head still spinning around slightly.

"We don't know and Aphrodite won't tell us anything"

"Someone was behind me" I tried to keep my eyes open but the darkness swallowed me once again. It was like I was floating above everything and I was watching a scene from a Elizabethan play. There was a tall man sturdy built holding a small skinny girl in his arms, they looked so out of place in the darkness, but it seemed expected. I floated down to get a better look at the two of them and I could see someone that looked like my Zoey and… and oh gosh, Kalona.

I knew that this wasn't a dream, even though that was what it seemed like to me as I floated closer and closer to them, it was very strange. I didn't think that Zoey would do this, this had to be what Aphrodite had seen in her vision, it had to be.

**Chapter 9**

I blinked with confusion as I stared at Damien and the rest of the gang. I didn't know what to tell them, "Oh did you know that Zoeys gone off with Kalona" or "I guess you didn't realise that there is a new couple in town". Seriously how was I going to tell them, at that moment Darius came in, all red and sleepy looking?

"Aphrodite refuses to tell me what is going on" he sighed and sat on the seat beside me. "How are you doing, you've been in and out of consciousness for a few hours.

"I know what Aphrodite saw" they all stared at me shocked and wide eyed.

"What is it?" Damien asked me. You could tell that he was worried about Zoey. Zoey should have included us in her plans or in what she was doing at least, instead of all these lies and secrets that she has been throwing at us.

"She is…" I paused not wanting to say what I had to but, it had to be done and it had to be done now. "She is with Kalona" they all took in a deep intake of breath as did I.

Zpov

So I am back with Kalona, he finally believes my story even though I don't believe it anymore, I remember now what I had to do and I was sure that I will probably lose all my friends again. Today I looked back and remembered Erik and the way we had left each other, he had tried to make me jealous with another girl and, well… I had walked away from him and come here.

My life had changed since being here more than it had before. I am sitting down with Kalona and we are arm in arm, everything is so peaceful up into a few moments ago. I swear that I could have felt someone watching us, but it would probably have been my overactive imagination as always. Three birds just flew by us and we watched them do acrobatics in the air, they are such beautiful creatures.

I have to bring Kalona down soon and I needed to try and tell my friends before they found out some other way. I really hated lying to my friends, before when I did this I almost lost all my friendship and I t had been so hard, I was told that I should never keep a secret again but, there was no way of me telling them without him finding out what I was really up to.

I thought about Aphrodite's vision and how I could play with that but I remembered that if you tried to get to things you couldn't unless fate took over and if you were trying to get around something you would try to dodge everything necessary and… hold on a minute maybe a should try and dodge her vision. I thought about this for a second but it came to me that I wasn't clear on what I had to do, that was a small problem.

**Chapter 10**

So what the hell was I supposed to do! I had no idea even as I sat here calmingly on the white pristine sand in front of the little hut. I came out here alone so I shouldn't awaken Kalona, I needed time to think of how to tell my friends without Kalona finding out unless I could do what Aphrodite's vision said I would do I really wouldn't have any friends and friends were what I needed at the moment. I have been sitting out here since the sun had risen from where ever it rose from, it has been probably two hours since then and all I can think about is him and how much it hurt Aya to do what I had to do.

I didn't even know how to defeat Neferet but I was supposed to find a way of doing that before or after I had killed Kalona. I also thought about the way I had yelled at Nyx for bringing back my tattoos for no reason, probably because It was going to blow my cover so much more than it already had. I am going through all of this when I wasn't even a… a… while I'm still a fledgling. Why did I have to go through all of this why couldn't Nyx have chosen someone else?

I heard someone walk through the white sand and towards me, "My beautiful Zoey, you are as beautiful as this beach". I sighed, I loved being close to Kalona. He put his arms around me and kissed my neck and cheeks, then he lifted my hand and put it to his mouth, then he slowly let it drop to my side. "What are you doing up so early my Zoey?"

"I could not sleep".

"Have you things to discuss?"

"No"

"Is it the bed?"

"No"

"Then what is it my Zoey?"

"It is nothing" I sighed and looked away.

"Ahh…. Is it me?"

"No it is not you"

"You do not want to talk about it to me".

I didn't move instead he moved even closer to me, "you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course" I tried to make my face look reassuring and my voice. He nodded in approval.

We sat on the beach for what seemed like hours but in real life time was only 15 minutes who knew that it could be so boring to watch waves crash after waves. I stood up and he followed suit, I then walked to the little hut that brought shade and fresh purified water to shower in. I undressed myself Kalona watching and turned on the tap. I stood in the shower and didn't move as the warmth of the water relaxed me. I missed Stark, the only one that I could think about last night was Stark and how I would have preferred him to be with me last night. If only there was a way of telling him.

"Are you not going to wash my Zoey?" he came towards the shower, his beautiful skin glowing in the sun light his smile broad and happy. He stood in front of me taking his clothes of too I wasn't shocked of this and I was happy to have someone close to me even if it was Kalona. The Aya part of me yearned, me towards him and I grabbed hold of his body.

Spov

I had told them all by now and I felt like I was disobeying my lover and the one that I swore to protect against anyone, I had already let myself and the goddess down on that one, I couldn't do it again.

They were all talking about it still and discussing why they should still be her friend, all she had done is gotten them into odd situations, but just because she basically always reacted only on instincts didn't mean that she was trying to lie to them.

"She probably wanted to find a way of telling you but she couldn't" I reasoned on her side.

"No wonder Aphrodite was screaming her head off at her!" one of the 'twins' yelled at me.

"Ditto Twin, she's done this before and we had to forgive her, maybe this time we just shouldn't bother" everyone stared at me, Damien looking sad, then they all turned muttering to themselves quietly and went out of the room leaving me in the infirmary by myself.

**Chapter 11**

Why does Zoey always have to do something to annoy everyone apart from me? Like she is probably doing it for a good cause, but she has friends that need to know what is going on, well she did. You know what, I think that everyone is planning on going back to Tulsa to see the rest of the group especially Stevie Rae and I must say how sad I am that they would just give up on the young priestess like that without any trust.

I walk back out into the hall way and almost go straight into Aphrodite who has black eye liner smudged down her face, she looks at me quickly and I have no idea what to say, instead she does. "Thanks for telling them about it, I really didn't want to hurt Zoey's feelings even if she was doing wrong" she smiles sweetly like she had when I had entered the great hall on my first day there.

"Um…" I pause for a moment, "that is ok; they had a right to know about it". She nods her head and so I start to walk away, until she calls me back.

"I know that you made a pledge to be her guardian and all but you shouldn't be sad that you told everyone what she was doing".

"Do you know why she is doing this?"

Her face went pale "I… I,,," she stuttered, something told me that she knew something. "N…n… no" she finally got out.

"If there is something that you need to say please just tell me, I won't tell the others" I stared her in the eyes.

"Um… that's the thing, they do know, but they have forgotten" she tried to smile but it came out as whimper.

"Why don't we sit down somewhere and talk" I seriously wanted to know what was going on, espec if everyone else knew about it.

We walked down to the lounge room, where all the furniture had been re arranged so that we could all sit comfortably and happily, but obviously everyone had gone to their rooms to have a massive moan and get ready to leave. We took our seats and I started the convo this time. "Well, tell me" I didn't mean this to be harsh, but that was how it came out.

"Well I had a vision that she would destroy Kalona in front of everyone, but she was kissing him…" was I hearing her correctly, destroy him by kissing _him_.

"What?"

"Well, in my vision she had worked out a way to destroy him by hooking up, with him. Just before he disappeared she whispered something into his ear and kissed him, and then it just happened" I looked at her in shock. I definitely needed some rest.

"I so need to get sleep, we will talk more later" I said.

"You cant help her, she has to do it all by herself, she is a big girl now" then she marched out of the room.

**Chapter 12**

I stared in amazement at the door that Aphrodite had stormed out of, I had never had someone tell me things so straight forward before. The words went through my mind like a fly buzzing annoyingly around my head "_Zoey is a big girl now"_ like I already knew that but still did she have to be so straight forward like that? Did she really have to do this on her own? How could she not have told me her plans? Did she go into the other world?

I sat on the couch and thought things over, maybe I shouldn't get into this mess seeming as it isn't mine to really get into. But I want her to be the high priestess one day, and it is my job to keep her alive and look after her. Why was I so worried though? I shouldn't be worried but I am. I guess I will have to find a way to stay in it but stand back a bit. I am so confused. As I kept thinking to myself I ended up getting more and more confused. I wanted the best for her but I knew that that meant staying out of it and supporting her when the time came for it.

I stood up feeling stiff with my bones cracking, I hated it when half my body was asleep and the other half was having spasms. It really was annoying, I thought that when I became what I was, that all of these human things would go away. But they didn't. I walked out of the room silently as not to disturb people from different rooms in case they had special hearing (more special than what we already have, that is).

Zoey pov

As I sit here with Kalona's great body next to mine, I feel a great gust of wind go over it. Something told me that everyone would be angry with me when I go back, everyone apart from Stark who would believe in me the whole way. I hated that I would have to do something to get rid of Kalona and have to screw up my friendship for it, it is a mildly vicious circle that surrounds me in this game.

Today all we have done, are lie out in the sun and let the dreams take over. He usually visits me in my dreams kike he is trying to control them (even though he sleeps next to me). The smell of him still makes me happy though, even if I don't always act like I love him around the place I can sometimes get pretty angry with him, but I make up with him every time in the end, as I think this thought I smile to myself, last night was one of those nights.

I stood up of off my banana lounge; it had left marks on my back from where all the UN even parts where. I touched the marks and a smile lit my face, it meant that the tattoos hadn't come back yet and I was still in the all clear. For some reason or another I remember my mind feeling all fuzzy and trying to remember what the hell I was doing before I was in the infirmary, why did I come back to Kalona? This was a mystery that sat on my soft clean hands.

**(He stabbed me square in the chest "this is the end" I thought to myself as I clutched my chest and fell to the ground in pain. I close my eyes wondering what death is like in the after world, did I come back as a new reborn creature, did I stay in the hands of Nyx or was there just nothing but blackness).**

Stark P.O.V:

As I walk through the hallway I can see one person, the last person that I expected to see, Erik. What the hell was he doing here, here of all places? I thought about it for a second and realised that he must still be in love with Zoey, even after what she had done to him, I probably would be too. She obviously had her problems but no one is perfect not even the major high priestesses let alone her.

"Hey" I say slowly sitting down next to him, we were sitting on a creamy coloured wall, which was all bumpy and rough.

"Hey" he said slowly.

"How are you?"

"What do you think" he said sarcastically.

"Look, I am only trying to be nice" I knew that he would be grumpy and that he had his reasons but it was unnecessary to take it out on me. I stood up ready to walk away from him before he said:

"Im really sorry that you are losing Zoey after a short time of being her guardian and lover" he didn't mean it rudely but that was what it sounded like.

"Im not losing her, she will come back to me and if she doesn't, then I am going to get her" I walked away at that moment and went straight to the rooms where everyone had finally gone to after those long days.

Aphrodite's P.O.V:

Well this is great, I have a feeling that everything everywhere is going weird, I cant see anything when I sleep which is a great worry because it means that somehow I have lost my sight. People are staring at me weirdly like I have the word freak tattooed across my forehead, and it is really getting on my nerves. I hate the fact that I am human all by myself without everyone else.

Now I have lost track of where everyone has disappeared to and what they would all be planning, now that Zoey has done what she has done. Stark doesn't look good but it doesn't seem that he is hurt by what she did, its like he understands something more than what we do. Probably something that we used to call faith, something that we don't have in her, if we lost her now though, we would be in serious trouble and the world would be doomed.


End file.
